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Xiao Xu Ming Tang (Minor Prolong Life Decoction)

Xiao Xu Ming Tang

Minor Prolong Life Decoction

Category
Formulas that Expel Wind
Subcategory
Formulas that Release Wind from the Skin and Channels
Ingredients
12 herbs
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Ingredients

12 substances in Xiao Xu Ming Tang — each links to its full herb monograph.

Bai ShaoBai Shao6-12 gTonify BloodChuan XiongChuan Xiong3-6 gInvigorate Blood and Remove StagnationFang FengFang Feng9-12 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the ExteriorFu ZiFu Zi3-9 gWarm the Interior and Expel ColdGan CaoGan Cao3-6 gTonify QiHan Fang JiHan Fang Ji6-12 gRegulate Water and Drain DampnessHuang QinHuang Qin4.5-9 gClear Heat and Dry DampnessMa HuangMa Huang3-6 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the ExteriorRen ShenRen Shen3-6 gTonify QiRou GuiRou Gui3-6 gWarm the Interior and Expel ColdSheng JiangSheng Jiang9-12 piecesWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the ExteriorXing RenXing Ren9-12 gRelieve Coughing and Wheezing

Preparation & dosage

Decoction. Decoct Fu Zi for 30-60 minutes before adding the other substances.

  • Double or triple the dosage of Dang Shen is commonly substituted for Ren Shen

    • Safety — read before use

    Do not use in cases of Wind Stroke caused by internal Wind.

  • Do not use if there is hot painful obstruction.

    • Originally Appeared In:

    • Thousand Ducat Formulas (Qian Jin Yao Fang)

    Notes:

    • Which "Fang Ji" does this formula use — and why the substitution?

      Modern practice substitutes Han Fang Ji (Stephania tetrandra) for the "Fang Ji" in this classical formula. Older texts used Guang Fang Ji (Aristolochia fangchi), but that species contains aristolochic acid — a potent nephrotoxin and IARC Group 1 carcinogen implicated in the 1990s outbreak of aristolochic-acid nephropathy ("Chinese-herb nephropathy") and urothelial cancer. Guang Fang Ji was removed from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 2005 and is restricted internationally. Han Fang Ji (Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae), free of aristolochic acid, is the standard safe substitute and provides the wind-damp–dispelling, water-draining action the formula calls for.

      Sources: aristolochic-acid nephropathy review (PMID 28146082); IARC Group 1 classification of aristolochic acids; 2005 Chinese Pharmacopoeia removal of Guang Fang Ji.

    Sources & References

    Compiled and edited by Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus

    The information here is referenced from numerous sources — teachers, practitioners, class notes from Five Branches University, the books below, and the published research literature, with citations given as resolvable PubMed identifiers. Where sources disagree, I have flagged the discrepancies directly. If facts couldn't be verified, I have left them out. How we source our content.

    Reference information for students and practitioners — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner. Terms of use.

    Chinese Formulas Books & References

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      Volker Scheid, Andrew Ellis

    • https://amzn.to/4gMROyv

      Him Che. Yeung

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      Qiao Yi

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